Rules of the Game

Rules of the Game

Don't Cash That Insurance Settlement Check (or Accept That Settlement Offer) Until You Know the Rules of the Game!

Insurance adjusters generally try to get claimants to settle their injury cases as soon as possible following an accident in which the adjuster's insured is at fault. Ask yourself why they do this. You will discover that cashing an insurance settlement check soon after an accident is almost always in the interest of the insurance company and against your settlement interests.

Learning the Rules of the Game will help you play with your own best interests in mind. There are, by the way, two sets of rules - one for the insurance company and one for the injured person (that would be you). Briefly, here they are:

Insurance Company Rules:

Start out as helpful and friendly as possible to build trust.
Pay as early as possible, to save money for the company.
Push the injured claimant to accept your offer, remind him that you've been on his side so far by helping speed up his medical/therapeutic payments, etc.
Shrug when that early "fair, full and final" offer is rejected - it was worth a try.

Injured Claimant Rules:

Document everything.
Take your time - don't rush to declare yourself all healed.
Always respond in writing, and keep copies of everything.
Expose your newly healed self to your real life for a while.
Then - and only then - begin to negotiate a settlement.

Now that you know the rules, there are two major types of information that will help you play the game known as getting the personal injury settlement you deserve:

Why insurers try to settle cases as soon as possible
What you can do instead